Car coupler



Nov. 6, 1928.

W. KELSO CAR COUPLER Filed Feb. 5, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 11 Nov. 6, 192

CAR COUPLER Filed Feb. 5, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,638-

I w. KELSO CAR COUPLER Filed Feb. 5, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

mm sures 1,690,635 PATENT; OFFICE.

winnimyr REL-SO;- or nineteen-Ron, PENNSYLV NIA, AssI-en'on TO MtcoNwA-Y & TDRLEYI'GOMPANY, or PITTSBURGH; rnmrsytvnnm, n neurone-Tron OFPEI-TN- SYLVAN'IA.

Application filed February This invention relates to car coi'lplers of the vertical, plane type wherein the knuckle s normally restrainedironiuncoupling rota; tion by means of a gravity actuated lock;

The primary object otthe invention is to, pro uce acar COUPlQl';0f stnong and simple con notion in which the parts efiiciently and reliably per'tori'n their functions; More especially the, improvement; is directed to,

I IHLPrDSfOF ensur ng certainty Ofperforman e oi. the lock setting operation which results in supporting; the lockln unlocked: position; permitting a subsequent uncoupling rota.- tion ot the knuckle;

A principal feature of the invention involves the; combination of a coupler head, 11' knuckle rotatably, mounted thereon, a, lock for the knuckle, and a litter for: actuating the lock, the lifter being slidably connected to the lock and preferably constituting means. tor cooperating withthe coupler head and. lock to prevent the latter fronraccidentally moving to unlocked: position, and the lock and litter being formed with. in

cll'ned iaces which cooperatewithench other to cause the look when moved to unlocked position to shift so as to come intosupportlug engagement with theltnuckle; While the latter is in coupled relation. e e

Other. features; of the invention pertaining, to advantageous-relations and forms of; parts will hereinafter appear and be pointed out? in theclain s.

In the drawingsillustrating preferredfembodiments of the invention,'

Figure 1 is aview, partly in side elevation and partly iii-vertical section,;o:t a coupler embodyingthe invention, the; parts i bei ng in normal locked relation,

Figure 2 is aview, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, of aportion ot the mechanisnrshown in F ig. 1. v

Figure 3 is a sectional? View on the line 3-3, Fig; 2, the knuchleopener being shown in\ elevation. V

Figure 4 isa'detail View, partly in eleva tion and partly in vertical: section, showing; the position assumed bythc parts whcn the lock lifter acts to arrest, accidental move-; ment of the look toward unlockedposition. I Figure 5 is a detail side elevational View oi? the lock for; the knuckle.

Fig 'ureti is a detail view corresponding to Fig". l but illustratingthe posit-ion assumed CAR: COUPLER;

5, 1926. stamina. sales,

by the parts at the beginning oi the unlocking movement of the lock. 1

t Figure 7, is-a detail viewpartly in elevas tion" and partly in vertical section showing the relative positrn of the parts when the lifter has raised the lock to lock set position.

Figure 8 is a detail View, partly in elevar tion and partly in ve tical section, showing ainodilied form oil? thexlnvention,employing" a top operating lifter ror actuating the lock, the parts being illustrated in normal; locked relation. l i

The coupler 1 carries a knuckle 2 which, is pivotally connected to the head in knuckle pin 3. in the embodiment of the invention illustrated n the drawings the stem or shank at, torminga part of the-coupler body, is integrally connected t'o the; headl. i

The knuckle 2 is normally restrainedfromoutward rotation by a gravityactuatedilock o-slidably n'iounted-inthe coupler head. The lock is preferably constructedso that it may be moved to unlocked position eithert by means of ZlibOttOHl operating lock lifter-6 or v by a top operating lock lifter 7 the letter construction illustrated iii-Fig. 8; In] both forms of construction the lock andit's; lifter-are so constructed: as tobeoperatively connected with capability of 'relative sliding. and t lting or pivotal movements For this purpose it islpreterred toprovide the lifter, 6 or 7, asthe case may be, with oppositely disposed trunnions 8-: which operate in trunnion guidewoys or recessesQ Qfihllllfi lock the; latter being; fashioned with a rearwardly} and upwardly opening slotior receiving the adjacent portion of, the litter. The upper ends of'the ti 'unnion guidewaystl extend/tea point above'and in advance ot'the center, 0t gravity of. the lock 5.,,tlnisenabling the lock toltilt or s ting forwardly under the influonce of gravity toward the tail of the knuckle 'mhgnl ituis supported on the trunnions in raised or; unlocked position. Vhile, as. will;

appear, other and more-positive meansuarel primarily designed to shift: the look; so that it may be supportedlon the tajilot the knuckle in look set position, the relation of thelifter and look by reason of whichthe latterqnayi tilt under t-he;: influence of gravity so as t'o assume loclrsettpositiomis advantageous in that, it provi d secondary means for ensuring-theperformance ot a lock set operation;

should wear or injury render the means pri- ,inarily serving that purpose incapable of performing their normal function. To per- ,mitthe lock to tilt to lock set position after having been raised, the upper port-ion 11' of the rear face of the lock is cut away or inclined. .For a similar purpose the front face of the look toward the guard arm side of the coupler head is beveled as at 12.

The lock!) is formed with a lug 13 which projects downwardly beyond the knuckle locking portion of the look so as to form a lock set leg whose lower end is adapted to rest upon a loc: set ledge or seat 14 formed on the upper surface of the tail. of the knuckle adjacent the lock. The lock set "seat-or ledge 14 extends only a part of the .latter falls to locked position.

way along the rear upper edge of the tail of the knuckle and gradually dimin shes or tapers in width so that as the knuckle *2 opens the lock set lug 13 rides or is forced off the knuckle thus permitting the lock to drop to a position in which the under surface of its knuckle locking portion is supported upon the upper surface of the knuckle tail. ,When the knuckle is subsequently "rotated to closed position its tail is withdrawn from beneath the lock and thea The upper portion of the lug 13 overlaps the inner end of the tailof the knuckle, as shown in F 2, thereby functioning as a guide to prevent the look from tiltingforwardly until after it has been raised sufficiently to unlock the knuckle. To guide the lock 5' when the latter performs an extended unlocking movement such as is required to actuate the, knuckle opener, the coupler head 11s formed face 17 at the bottom of the lifter receiving recess of the lock 5.

These downwardly and forwardly inclined surfaces 16 and 17 are spaced from each other when the parts are (iii in normal locked relation, as shown in Figs.

' "land 8. lVhen, however the lifter is actunil! ated to move the lock 5 to unlocked position the initial unlocking movement of thelifter brings the inclined surface 16 of the latter into contact with the cooperating incline'17 of the lock, as shown in Fig.6. Continued upward movement of the lifter, while the inclined face 17 of the lock is thus in con-' tact with the corresponding inclined shoulder of the lifter,'causes the lock to be *raised to unlocked position permitting the knuckle to open. As soon as the lock has been raised'suiliciently to unlock the knuckle execute an extended unlocking movement,

it slides or gravitates downward and forward along the. inclined surface 16 of the lifterjtilting to lock set position, as shown in Fig. 7. In this position the lock set leg I 13 rests upon the lock set seat 14% of the knuckleythereby supporting the lock in elevatedposition. It will be appreciated that this construction renders thefull'weight of the lock 5 effective tocause it to move to its lock set positiomthereby making the performance of this function more positive and speedy than would be. the case if a mere overbalancing of the lock around a point of pivotal supportwere relied upon forthat purpose. But, as heretofore explained the locking block 5 and'the trunnions 8 of the lifter areso're'lated that the upper ends of the trunnion guides 9 of the lock are 'suf .ficiently above and in advance of the center of gravity of the lock to induce a forward swingingfor tilting of the look under the action of gravity, causing the lock'to as- .sume look set oosition thereb 7 ensurin 7 b proper operation of the mechanism should the projection forming'the inclined surface 16 of the lifter be broken ofi or worn to such an extent that it could not cooperate with the beveled surface 17 ofthe lock to shift the latter to lock set position; a i

It is preferred to construct each of the.

lock lifters 6 and 7 in a manner to provide meansfor preventing accidental uinocking of the lock resulting from shocks and jars of service. i For this purpose'both forms of litter maybe provided with a shoulder 18 which extends under a lock down shoulder 19 of the (coupler head or body when the lock and its lifter are in 1 locked relation. As shown-in Fig. 1, if the-lock 5 while in service should accidentally move toward unlocked position the lifter will be carried upwardly with it untilt-h shoulder 18 comes into engagement with the lock down shoul i de'r -19 of the coupled head, thereby arresting further unlocking movement of the lock 5. Efficient and positive functioning of the means for preventing accidental unlocking of the lock is enhanced byproviding the lock lifter with a vertically extending face 20 which bears against; the front face of the lock down shoulder or wall 19' when the parts are in locked relation; and the lifter is preferably provided on its forward side witha vertically'extendingface 21 whichengages a corresponding face on thelock 5 when the coupler'is locked. By cooperating with the coupler head and lock, respectively,

these faces or shoulders 20 and 21 prevent the lifter from accidentally rotating in a direction which would cause its locking shoulder 18 to move from beneath the anticreep shoulder or lug 19 of the coupler heady o For the purpose of rotating the knuckle to open position when-the lock 5 is caused to the coupler is preferably provided with a bell crank knuckle opener lever 22 which is pivotally mounted upon a horizontally ex tending pin 23 that may conveniently be The longer arm of the knuckle opener extends downwardly cast in placein the headi behind the tailof the knuckle 2' so that when the knuckle opening lug 24 formed on the lock5 engages the shorter arm t-hcknuckle opener is rotated and the knuckle thereby forced to open position; i

It will be perceived that my invention provides a car coupler in which the partsfor the knuckle, and a lifter for actuating the lock, said lifter being sl'idably connected to the lock and having an inclined face for cooperating with the latter, said inclined face being adaptedwhen the lifter executes anunlockingmovement to move into engagement with the loc t and cause the latter to move to unlocked position, the said lock after having been raised to unlocked po-- sitionbeing adapted under the influence of gravity to slide'down the said inclinedv face and shift laterallyv so as to engage and be supported bys'aidlniuckle in a lock set position.

2. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon, a lock for the knuckle, and a lifter for actuating said lock, the lifter and lock being slidably connected and one of them being provided with an inclined face for engaging the other, said inclined face constituting means for causing the lock to gravitate laterally toward and to engage and be supported by said knuckle in lock set position after the lifter has caused said lock to assume unlocked position.

3. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon, a lock for the knuckle and a lifter for actuating the lock, said lifter being slidably connected to the lock and constituting means for preventing the latter from accidentally moving to unlocked position, and said lock and lifter being provided with cooperating inclined faces which are spaced from each other when the lock and lifter are in locked relation and which engage each other during movement of the lock to unlocked position, the said lock when raised to unlocked position being adapted to slide down the inclined face of the lifter so as to shiftlaterally to assume lock set position.

l. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon, a lock for the knuckle, and a lifter for actuating the lock, said lifter being slidably connected tothe lock and beingadapted to support the lock so as; to pergmit it totilttoward lock set position, and said lock and lifter being formed wit-h inclinedfaces which are spaced from each other when the parts are in i looked relation and which coop'erateiwith each other to cause the lock to shift toward lock set position after/ it has been moved to unlocked position by the lifter.

5; Acar. coupler involving acoupler head; a; knuckle rotatably. mounted'thereon, a lock for the knuckle, and a lifter for actuating thewlock, said lifterbeingslidably andipivob ally connected to the lock and constituting means for preventing the latter from moving accidentally to unlocked position, said lifter being. provided with an inclined shoulder whichis spaced from thelock when the lifter is innornial lockediposition and ing movement to the latteigthe said lock, being .slidable down said: inclined shoulderto lock set position. i L

61A car coupler-involving a coupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon, a lock,- ior the knuckle,a11d a lifter-for actuating the lock, said lifter beingslidably-andapivot ally connected to said lock and extending downwardly therefrom through, an, opening in the coupler head, saidlocl'e when moved to unlocked position by' the lifter beingadapted to swing toward and be suppoizted by the knuckle while the latter is in closed position, and the lifter being provided with an inclined shoulder which is adapted to move into engagement with the lock and down which the latter slides toward lock set position after having been moved to unlocked position.

7. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon, a lock for the knuckle, and a lifter for actuating the lock, said lifter being slidably and pivot-- ally connected to the lock and extending downwardly therefrom through an opening in the coupler head and being adapted to cooperate with the lock and coupler head to prevent said lock from accidentally moving to unlocked position, said lifter being provided with an inclined face for engaging the lock to cause the latter to tilt to a )osition enabling it to be supported by the inuckle while the latter is in closed position.

8. A car coupler involving a coupler head,- a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle, and a lifter for actuating the lock, said lifter being slidably and pivotally connected to the lock and being provided below its point of pivotal. connection to the lock with an inclined face which is adapted to move into engagement with the lock, said look when moved to unlocked position by the lifter being adapted to slide along said inclined face so as to move to a position enabling it to be supported by the which en ages thelock to impart: an unlock-i Ill?) knuckle while the latter is in closed position.

I 9. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon, a lock for the knuckle, a lockset seat on the knuckle for supporting the lock in unlocked position, and a lifter for actuating the lock, said lifter and lock having cooperating shoulders for preventing the look from accidentally assuming unlocked position, and said lock and lifter being slidable with respect to each other and being provided with cooperating inclined faces which come into engagement when the lifter moves the lock to unlocked position, the said cooperating inclined faces constituting means for causing the look under the influence of gravity to slide down the inclined face of the lifter so as to shift into engagement with said lock set seat and thereby be supported in unlocked position while the knuckle is closed.

10. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon,

a lock for the knuckle, a lock set seat for supporting the lock in unlocked position, and p a lifter for actuating the lock, said lifter being slidably connected to the lock and cooperating with the latter and with the coupler head to prevent'the lock from accidentally moving to unlocked position, and said lock and lifter being provided with inclined faces which cooperate with each other to cause the lock to shift into engagement with the said lock set seat while the knuckle is in closed position.

.i llfA car coupler involving ,a coupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon,

a lock vfor the knuckle, and a lifter for actuating the lock, said lock being provided with a portion adapted to seat upon the tail of the knuckleto thereby maintain the lock in unlocked position while the knuckle is closed, said lifter being provided with trunnions formingmeansfor slidably and rotaably connecting the lifter and lock, said lock'being formed with guideways for said and the lock having guideways for the trunnions, the inclined face on the lifter being adapted to engage the lock to lift the latter before the trunnions reach the ends of the guideways.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

WILLIAM KELSO. 

